Install problem

LAST EDITED ON Oct-09-01 AT 12:32 PM (GMT)
I am working on a old Packard Bell, Pentium 75.It would not boot when I recieved it, the hard drive files had been compressed and there were problems in System.ini and Win.ini. It appears that I have not helped matters. After FDISK and Format it can not find C: to reload windows 95. There is only one partition since it is a very small hard drive. I have a restoration disk and it still will not install anything. It can start to load windows, but I get an error:
SUWIN caused load failure in module SUWIN.exe at 0001:3DEO.
It is hardly worth the effort but I have not ran into this and would really like to straighten this thing out. ANY CLUES!!

2. RE: Install problem
lbyard Oct-09-01 08:12 PM
In response to message 0

If it's good, you should be able to see the C: drive (a:\>C: followed by C:\>dir) after formatting and booting to the floppy. Do not format with the /s flag or otherwise put the system files on the drive. You probably need the format # from the PB credentials sheet to do the correct restore. It may be on the case. I would do a scandisk on it with a surface scan to verify the drive. Is the CMOS Setup configured correctly for the drive, etc.? An old computer can be challenging; an old PB is hardly worth doing (really not worth doing). Larry

3. RE: Install problem
DAM Oct-10-01 03:00 AM
In response to message 2

Thanks Larry,
Your right its not worth it but I am up for most callanges just to satisfy myself(& keep a customer happy) and yes I did use /s with my format. I have it up and running.Thanks again,
DAM

4. RE: Install problem
lbyard Oct-10-01 03:56 PM
In response to message 3

For future readers... Windows 9x/Me will not normally clean install on a drive that has the sytem files installed (format /s or sys). The PB restore CD must work differently. Larry

5. RE: Install problem
stevehenry1 Oct-11-01 03:52 AM
In response to message 0

since it was compressed, the master boot record is probably screwed up or damaged. try using fdisk/MBR to restore it. then scandisk, etc.
compressed drives can be the biggest pain. fdisk and format won't fix the mbr by themselves

6. RE: Install problem
DAM Oct-11-01 01:02 PM
In response to message 5

Larry,
I think you may have miss understood what I said about /s switch. I did just what stevehenry1 said I fdisk/mbr and format C: without any switches(just to be sure) and that is when I started having sucess at getting this PB up and runnig. Thanks again for having a great forum.

8. RE: Install problem
lbyard Oct-11-01 05:03 PM
In response to message 5

Concur for Win 9x/Me. Works OK for Win NT/2000. I have spent many many hours/days trying to fix compressed drives and it is a royal pain and very time consuming to backup and restore them to a new drive. Not recommended; buy a new drive if you need more capacity. Larry

9. RE: Install problem
stevehenry1 Oct-12-01 04:16 AM
In response to message 8

i fought with one compressed drive a long time ago and vowed to never touch one again.
the more modern problem is the EZ BIOS that is used to trick motherboards into seeing a larger drive than they are designed for. fortunantly, i've never had ez bios corrupt, but it also rewrites the Master Boot Record and can drive you nuts trying to use.
one of the more wierd problems seen with a drive with EZ-BIOS on it is that you can use it as a boot drive ok, but if you move it to a non-primary master, bios won't see it and you can't access the data. here again fdisk/MBR will fix it.